Champagne is generally associated with feelings of euphoric excess and the special occasions that prompt them -- New Year's Eve celebrations, weddings, birthdays, promotions. Even if you're in the mood to splurge, a large crowd or a tight budget can prompt the pursuit of cheap Champagne. From France to Spain, Italy, and California, there's enough excellent bubbly to go around for $10 or less. The challenge lies in knowing what you're buying. We considered online reviews and ratings from a variety of sources and consulted a wine expert to come up with our top picks.

If you think cheap white wine is only for grandma's spritzer, think again. There's a white wine -- costing no more than $10 to satisfy almost anyone's palate. Inexpensive white wines can complement a range of foods, brighten up a lazy summer afternoon, and make an excellent substitute for pre-dinner cocktails. White wines typically present fruity and/or floral flavors and aromas, sometimes offer a bit of spice and earthiness, and range in sugar content from bone dry to dessert-level sweet. We've made top picks based on tastings, ratings, reviews, and awards, on top of expert advice, and suspect wine drinkers will find at least one selection to suit both their sipping preferences and their budget.

Who needs a premium red wine when a thoroughly respectable bottle costs $10 or less? Frugal quaffers who know even a little bit about wine and aren't afraid to go with what they like will find many such bottles. There are hundreds of cheap red wines out there -- some barely worth the few dollars you'd pay but many worth drinking. With so many styles, grape varieties, producers, and labels to choose among, shopping can be a challenge. To guide wine drinkers through the thicket, we've made top picks based on tastings, ratings, reviews, awards, and expert advice. We've also selected a wide array of other inexpensive red wines fit to serve with a meal, bring to a party, or sip over the course of a quiet evening.

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Review

A mid-sized sedan with a 2.5L, 4-cylinder engine and more horsepower than the competition, the Fusion Hybrid gets 39 mpg in combined city/highway driving and runs on unleaded or a combination of ethanol and gasoline. Reviewers approvingly note the cloth seat fabric made of recycled materials, updated styling, and gauge that tracks your eco-driving skills.

Relatively new to the hybrid scene, the Ford Fusion Hybrid (and its sister car, the Mercury Milan Hybrid) is making waves with auto journalists and customers alike. In Ford Fusion Hybrid reviews, this model draws praise from a variety of sources, including HybridCars.com, USA Today, and Cars.com. In customer surveys by expert reviewers, the Ford Fusion Hybrid ranks among the top 10 for owner satisfaction.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a mid-sized sedan with a 2.5L, 4-cylinder engine that gets 39 mpg in combined city/highway driving. This model runs on unleaded or a combination of ethanol and gasoline. (Although running E85 ethanol gas reduces the fuel efficiency a bit, it burns cleaner than regular gas.) It is also more fuel-efficient than the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Nissan Altima Hybrid, which are direct competitors in size and price. Loads of standard safety features, including a blind-spot information system and hands-free 911 assist and structural features such as steel reinforcements that help protect passengers in side impacts, earn the Ford Fusion Hybrid praise from safety experts, including the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

If you prefer the look of a traditional sedan and can afford a slightly higher sticker price, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is a sound choice.

Michael Sweet

Michael Sweet writes about consumer electronics. If something runs on electricity or ones and zeroes, he's interested in it. Sweet has written about PC technology and consumer electronics for 14 years.